Employer Agrees to Pay $12,000 in Penalties Pursuant to DOJ Settlement for Including Citizenship Status Requirements in Job Postings

The Department of Justice recently announced a settlement agreement with MicroLink Devices based in Niles, Illinois. The agreement settles the allegations that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act § 274B when it advertised six online job postings explicitly stating citizenship status preferences excluding certain work authorized noncitizens, such as lawful permanent residents, refugees and those given asylum in the U.S., from consideration for the jobs. The agreement requires MicroLink Devices to pay $12,000 in civil penalties to the federal government, to revise its hiring and recruiting procedures, to ensure that future job postings conform to the law, and to be subject to training, reporting, compliance and monitoring requirements.